West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-22
will be heartily approved by the
rank and file of voters.
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
April 90, 1917


are submitted;
l. To make appropriations for the
general charges on the Treasury.
,. To make appropriations for the
Legislature and for salaries of State
officers.
Under these heads the Governor
calls attention to the Auditors esti-
mate of the probable receipts of the
Treasury. For SO, $49O,4Os; for
81 $45S,4S4." These estimates in
clude $4,000 for each year OF taxes
due by railroads to counties, dis
tricts and municipalities. These
local taxes, although collected by the
State, form no part Of the fund to
meet general charges on the Treasu-
nv and, being deducted, the esti-
mates will then stand, for Sc, $4lO,-
4S4 and for S7,$S7S, 40S The Gov
ernor earnestly recommends that APP
preparations he kept within these
limits.
3. To protect the treasury against
unnecessary expenditures.
The Auditor estimates the annual
criminal charges at 100000. This
is out Of all proportion to the neces-
stiles of due administration of Four
criminal laws. Il is more than one
fourth of the charges upon the
Treasury and more than has ever
been appropriated for the current
expenses of the Insane Asylum to
maintain between 600 and 700 pa
tients. These charges are for fell
ony cases alone. Fully onc-third is
consumed in examinations Of per
sons charged with felonies before
justices. The Federal law limits
the number of witnesses examined
by commissioners. (The Governor
quotes from his last message and
points out how certain amendments
of the law will very Largely reduce
these charges.
4. To carry into effect article ii
of the Constitution which provides
that:
Railroads are hereby declared
public highways and shall be free to
all persons for the transportation of
their persons and property thereon,
under such regulations as shall be
subscribed by law; and the Legis-
/ lature shall pass laws establishing
reasonable maximum charges and
providing for the correction Of
abuses, the prevention Of unjust dis
examinations, and for the protection
OF the Just rights Of the public"
And to provide for securing such
relief to the people of this State as
NAV be had from the Act, recently
passed bv Congress, entitled Act
to regulate commerce.
This plain constitutional provis-
ion is the voice of the people. They
ordained it as part OF the organic
law. For nearly fifteen years its SUI
preme command has continued; yet,
for all practical purposes, 1t has re-
NAMED dead letter to this day. OF
such vital Importance was the sub
iect to which it relates, considered,
that both policy and eXpediency
were determined by the people and
legislation to protect the just rights
of the public imperatively enjoined.
The Legislatures of twenty-siN
States have acted; and the United
( States Congress has. recently, en-
acted laws tor the regulation OF In
ter-State Commerce. | assert it as
a fact, beyond controversy, that the
freight and passenger diScrImina-
tions against the people of this State
have exceeded, bv far, that against
any other section Of the country, and
/ have resulted in taking from them
millions Of dollars in excess of just
and reasonable charges.
On information from various rell-
able sources, the following charges
will indicate to some extent, the
gross and glaring injustice that has
been practircd against this State:
| Grain, per cvt. from st. Louis, Mo-. ~,
| to Atlantic SeabOard -.-..-S ~
\ Grain, per Cwt. from Hinton w.
| Va, 10 Atlantic Seaboard -
/ Coal pertOn from Cumberland, Md.
/ 20 Baltimore, Md ......-. .-.., W
/ Coal per ton, from Cumberland,
/ Md, TO Harper'S Ferry, w. Va 10
| Cattle. pcr ear. from st. Louis, Mo.
/ 20 Atlantic SeabOard ........ - W
/ Cattle. per ear, from Chicago 70 At
/ lautic SeabOard ....-. .-. - W
wv AZ TP Pot 70 AT Atlantic seaboard 20 90
7 Cattle. per ear, from Cabell county ~,
to Atlantic SeabOard ....-. --.---- ~ w
/ Cattle, per car, East of Charleston, ~,
W. Va, to Atlantic SeabOard - w
! Cattle. per ear. from Summers CO.,
! W. Va. To Atlantic Seaboard ~ NJ
The following, in relation to pas
senger fare, came under my own ob
servation during the past year;
. Passenger fare from Washington
IN charleston. w. Va .....-.. Sl2.l0
( Passenger fare from WASHINGTON
to Cincinnati, more than 90
miles farther eco. -...- ........-... Il-uU
A gentleman in the eastern part
of this State had six or eight horses